ACAB : All Cops Are Bastards 2012

The film centers on the daily lives of a group of riot-control police known as the Celerini, patrolling Rome as they carry out the delicate balancing act of “cleansing” stadiums of Ultras, handling public demonstrations, executing evictions, and tending to the everyday drama of family life. The story follows not just the job, but the people behind the badges, showing how their work bleeds into their personal moments, friendships, and loyalties.

Adriano Costantini [Domenico Diele] joins the squad for its high-paying salary, hoping to support his mother. He and his mother share a cramped apartment that’s rapidly becoming uninhabitable after an immigrant family squats the unit, leaving them with nowhere to go. The pressure of finances and housing fuels a volatile temperament in Adriano, who often resorts to force, even when restraint would be wiser, as anger over his mother’s precarious situation gnaws at him.

Mazinga [Marco Giallini], the squad’s seasoned leader, navigates a tense home life as the father of a rebellious teenager who has begun to drift toward a neo-fascist group. The boy’s attitude and beliefs push Mazinga to confront the uneasy intersection of fatherhood, duty, and the political currents swirling around the city. A brutal incident at a stadium—a stabbing during a confrontation—leads Mazinga to suffer a severe injury that paralyzes one leg, triggering a manhunt launched by his own colleagues who fear the consequences of the attack.

Negro [Filippo Nigro] lives under his own heavy weight, facing a painful divorce and the heartbreak of being denied visitation with his daughter. The dissolution of his marriage adds another layer of strain to a man already wrestling with the emotional toll of his demanding job and the violence that often accompanies it.

Cobra [Pierfrancesco Favino], the most devoted member of the team, believes unflinchingly in protecting his “brothers in arms” above all else. He views the work as a sacred duty, yet the line between safeguarding his comrades and upholding the law becomes increasingly blurred. His loyalties—and his own capacity for violence—draw him toward actions that put him on a collision course with accountability, including a trial for beating a football supporter.

As the film follows these four men, their lives begin to unravel against a backdrop of escalating tensions: the police force at odds with the Ultras, immigrants, and rising fascist sentiment. The narrative weaves together the pressures of duty, personal fracture, and the social upheaval simmering beneath the surface of a city under strain, painting a portrait of men trying to find order and humanity amid chaos.